Speaking-tube



(No Model.)

W. PERPENTE.

SPEAKING TUBE.

No. 485,979. Patented Nov. 8,1892.

ZMHMM W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.NVILLIAM PERPENTE, OF NEVt HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SPEAKING-TUBE.

.ESEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,979, datedNovember 8, 1892. Application filed August 17,1891. Serial No. 402,897.(No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM PERPENTE, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpeaking- Tubes; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. X

My invention relates to various new and useful improvements in speakingtubes which are especially adapted for use in carriages for establishinga means of communication between the occupants thereof and the driver;but it should be understood that the invention is capable of effectiveuse in other connections, such as in dwelling-houses, offices, &c. 7

The principal object which I seek to accomplish'by the use of myinvention is to do away with the usual tin whistle now used to attractthe attention of the driver, since I have found that the use of such tinwhistles is objectionable for the reason that the proper transmission ofthe sound is considerably effected thereby, that such whistles aredifficult to introduce and retain in the receiver of the speaking-tube,and that when such whistles become rusty or damaged they becomeinoperative, or at least operate very imperfectly. To accomplish thisobject, I make use of a wooden whistle, which forms practically acontinuation of the speaking-tube, and which is placed crosswise in thereceiver in order that the sound therefrom maybe directed out of thereceiver, and, further, in order that the opening in the side of saidwhistle may be utilized as a passage through which sound may betransmitted.

Other objects of my invention are to provide and produce a speaking-tubewhich will be attractive in appearance, cheap to construct, andeffective and durable in use.

For a better comprehension of my inventionattention is directed to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a side view of my improved speaking-tube; Fig. 2, atop view of the same,

which is the construction applied to use in carriages; but it is to beunderstood that any length of tubing maybe used,and that a nonflexibletubing may be used, and that a re ceiver or a receiver and transmittermay be placed at each end of the tube.

A is the transmitter, B the tubing, and C the receiver, which are thethree principal elements of the invention. The transmitter A, which ispreferably made of wood turned out in an ordinary lathe, is of thegeneral bell shape shown. It may be provided with suitable ornamentalbeads, as shown, to improve its appearance. The transmitteris providedwith a flaring lip a and is made hollow, so as to convey the sound tothe tube. The neck I) of this transmitter A is made screw-threaded onits interior, and the said interior is inclined, so that when the end ofthe tube B is screwed therein it will be gradually compressed, until itis firmly in position. The tube B is preferably of rubber, either plainor covered with a cloth or silk web, so as to improve its appearance,and it is to be screwed within said transmitter A, as just explained.When the device is to be used in dwelling-houses or in other similarconnections, a tin, iron, or heavy paper tube may be substituted in lieuof said rubber tube, since rubber, owing to its cost and its liabilityto decay, would be impracticable for use in such connection. Thereceiver C is composed of two separate parts, the whistle c and thehearing-piece or bell d, which are both preferably made of wood, whichmay be easily and economically turned out by an ordinary turning-lathe.

The whistle 0 consists of a body part eand a cylindrical head f. Thebody 6 is preferably provided with suitable ornamental beads, as shown,and it constitutesa very convenient handle, by which the receiver 0 maybe held up to the ear of the listener. The

whistle c is made hollow up to a point near the extreme end of thecylindrical portion or head f; or, if desired, it may be hollowed outits entire length and the head f may be plugged up for a short distanceby means of a wooden plug. The hollowed-out portion within the body partc is made larger than that within the cylindrical head, and it is alsomade inclined and screw-threaded in the same way and for the samepurpose as the hollowed-out portion of the transmitter A. Thecylindrical head f is provided with the usual inclined cut or opening gtherein, seen in all whistles of this variety, and a wooden plug h,having a passage along its top, is inserted within the whistle directlyback of the cut or opening g, so as to direct the moving currents of airagainst the sharp inclined edge of said out, whereby a sharp penetratingwhistling sound will be produced.

The hearing-piece or bell d is made of the general form shown, with alarge deflecting aperture 71 therein, which communicates at its innerand smaller end with a cylindrical lat eral passage extending directlythrough the same. The cylindrical portion or head f of the whistle isinserted through this passage, so that the cut or opening 9 therein willbe directly coincident with the inner end of the ployed, and one whichavoids the objections adherent on old devices.

Having now described my invention, what.

1 claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

In a speaking-tube, the combination of a tube and a receiver 6,consisting of a whistle 6, having a cut or opening g therein, and ahearing-piece or bell provided with a deflecting orifice i, the saidopening g being coincident with the inner end of said orifice, sub- 55stantially as set forth.

\VILLIAM PERPENTE. In presence of DANIEL COLWELL, JOHN J. PHELAN.

